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Research note: Zic5 alters digit morphology during avian limb development
Yining Tang1, Shanshan Li2, Shibin Bai2
1College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.
Poultry Science
|July 31, 2026
Summary
Zinc finger of the cerebellum 5 (Zic5) plays a key role in avian limb development. Elevated Zic5 expression impairs skeletal growth and digit formation, impacting avian morphology.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Avian limb morphology is crucial for flight and locomotion.
- Transcriptional regulators of avian limb and digit development are not fully understood.
- The role of Zinc finger of the cerebellum 5 (Zic5) in avian limb development is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the spatiotemporal dynamics of Zic5 expression in chicken limbs.
- To evaluate the function of Zic5 in avian limb and digit morphogenesis.
- To investigate Zic5's role in shaping avian limb morphology.
Main Methods:
- Whole-mount in situ hybridization to analyze Zic5 expression patterns.
- Zic5 overexpression in chicken limb buds.
- Analysis of skeletal marker gene expression.
Main Results:
- Zic5 expression shifts dynamically during limb development, from broad mesenchymal to digit-base domains.
- Zic5 overexpression leads to shortened digits and impaired limb ossification.
- Altered expression of key skeletal genes (Sox9, Runx2, etc.) observed with Zic5 overexpression.
Conclusions:
- Elevated Zic5 impairs avian limb skeletal growth and maturation.
- Zic5 influences distal digit development, causing shortening or loss.
- Zic5 may regulate digit architecture during avian morphological diversification.
